Determinants of Academic Success in Agricultural Science Subject among Senior Secondary School Students

The study examined determinants of academic success in Agricultural science among senior secondary school students in Oru L.G.A. of Imo State, Nigeria. Cross sectional data generated from 200 students drawn from 2 secondary schools randomly selected from the lists of secondary schools in Oru L.G.A of Imo State was used. Descriptive statistical tools such as percentages and frequency tables, as well as regression analysis were used in analyzing the data. Results of the analysis showed that likeness or interest in agricultural science subject by the students, occupation of the parents of the students, type of accommodation which symbolized environmental influence on the students, the level of teaching experience possessed by the teachers, level of class attendance by the students, togetherness of the parents and the educational level of the parents of these students were statistically significant determinants of academic success in agricultural science subject among senior secondary school 1 and 2 students in the State. It is therefore recommended that the Government should boost and sustain the interests of these students through the provision of the requisite instructional materials. The recruitment of qualified and well experienced teachers was also advocated in order to sustain the interests in agricultural science subject. Keywords: Success, Senior Secondary Students, Agricultural Scienc

The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Sub-Saharan Africa

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the global financial crisis on the growth and development of sub-Saharan Africa and to discuss the policy implications of the crisis. Understanding the impact of the global financial crisis on sub-Saharan Africa is of critical importance because of the continent’s severe volatility. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the largest number of low-income countries in the world; more than fifty percent of the population lives on less than US $1.25 per day.1 The region is also plagued with country-specific political problems, which are at risk of exacerbation by increasing levels of poverty. However, it is important to note that conditions in sub-Saharan Africa are not uniform; they vary by country. The World Bank reports that the sum GDP per capita of the top ten wealthiest countries in Africa is 25.2 times the GDP per capita of the poorest ten countries.2 The economic disparity between countries highlights the variability in the experiences of individual countries, as well as the necessity for country-specific policy responses to the impacts of the global financial crisis

Library Cooperation as a Precursor to Enhanced Library Services Provision in Academic Libraries in Imo State.

Purpose: The study investigated library cooperation and provision of library services in academic libraries in Imo State.Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey design was adopted in carrying out this study. The 180 professional and para-professional staff in the six (6) tertiary institutions’ libraries which include Imo State University library, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Imo Polytechnic, Federal College of Land Resources and Technology and Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Total enumeration sampling procedure was employed to take complete count of the population.Findings: Findings of the study revealed that interlibrary loan, exchange and joint publication constitute the few areas of library cooperation in the tertiary institutions studied; and there is significant relationship between library cooperation and provision of library services in the tertiary institutions studied whereas inadequate funding, outdated technology and fear of loss of resources are some of the challenges posed by library cooperation.Originality/Value: The study provides empirical justification for the effectiveness of library cooperation on quality service delivery

Production of bio-electricity through bacterial catalysis in microbial fuel cell running on garri-processing wastewater

Two H-type dual-chambered glucose-fed MFC reactors, each with a working volume of 250 ml designated as GPWW (enriched from garri wastewater) and the other as DWW (enriched from domestic wastewater) were constructed under same conditions and the anodes were continuously fed with synthetic medium (SM) at a flow rate of 0.7 ml min-1. An average power density (Pd) of 1.5 ± 1.39 W/m3 for GPWW and 0.6 ± 0.6 W/m3 for DWW was observed in 150 days of operation. The peak biomass density for DWW was significantly (P < 0.05 T-test) higher than that of GPWW by a factor of 2 (8.99mg versus 3.4 BSA/total anode respectively) on day 120 suggesting that more biomass was formed on DWW than GPWW reactor. This indicates that exo-electrogens in DWW reactor directed more of electron flow to cell synthesis rather than to current. The archaea footprints detected on the anodes were limiting factors in current generation. One vital milestone in this study is the discovery of the potential of garri-processing wastewater as a veritable substrate in microbial fuel cell technology.Keywords: Biomass density, Dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria, Current density, Microbial fuel cell, Power densit

Poverty Alleviation Among Nigerian Youths via Entrepreneurial Education: Issues and Challenges

This paper discussed the relevance of entrepreneurship education in alleviating poverty among Nigerian youths. The paper equally discussed the issues and challenges inherent in the implementation of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria Universities. Objectives of entrepreneurship education were highlighted. Theoretical and empirical literature relevant to the study was reviewed. Finally, the study recommended among others that all the three tiers of government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and all other stakeholders in education industry should ensure that entrepreneurship education is properly funded for effective implementation. Key words: poverty, alleviation, youths, stake holders,  entrepreneurial education, self-reliance, issues, challenges

What could be influencing older Ghanaians outpatient care utilization rate?

Objectives: Ghana’s population is rapidly aging and there may be healthcare access and utilization issues. This study investigates some of the issues that may influence outpatient care utilization rate among older Ghanaians. Methods: Cross-sectional wave 1 (2007-2010) data from WHO's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health are used, and a sample of 1408 are analyzed. After multiple imputations of missing values, a negative binomial regression model is used to identify the association between outpatient care utilization rate and lifestyle activities. Results: The rate of outpatient care utilization is negatively associated with the rate of eating vegetables (β =0.0830, p < .001), fruits (β =0.0033, p < .05), moderate-exercise (β =0.4010, p < .001), moderate-work (β =0.2049, p < .001), walking/biking (β = 0.0436, p < .001), and positively associated with leisure hours ((β =0.0194, p < .001). Conclusion: To promote better aging situations of older adults in Ghana, poverty and poor education should be addressed as potential barriers to healthcare access. There is a need for policies that encourage healthier lifestyles for older Ghanaian’s health

The American No Child Left Behind Act: Implications for the Nigerian School System.

This paper discussed the facts about the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in America and compares that with the Nigerian equivalent of No Child Left Behind. The standards and goals set forth by both the American and Nigerian legislations were addressed. The paper touched the positive and negative aspects of NCLB on our school systems in both America and Nigeria. Several research articles that discuss the impact of NCLB on our school systems were also discussed. Finally, recommendations on ways and means to help the Nigerian students with disabilities forge ahead in the 21st century were made. Keywords: Special education, Litigation, Social issues, parental involvement, Education refor

Use of Mobile Phones for Research Among Undergraduates in Two Polytechnic Libraries in Imo State, Nigeria.

The study is titled ‘Use of Mobile Phones for Research among Undergraduates in two Polytechnic Libraries in Nigeria. The study seeks to establish if students who make use of the polytechnic libraries studied do use their mobile phones for research purposes, their reasons for preferring to use their mobile phones to traditional/conventional information resources as well as the constraints they encountered when accessing information. The survey method was adopted in data collection. The validated questionnaire were administered to the respondents within a period of week. Findings show that undergraduate students who use the polytechnic libraries studied make use of their mobile phones for research occasionally. It was revealed that lack of current/ relevant resources in libraries, saving of time and cost of travelling to other libraries for research, low level of satisfaction derived from available resources as well as lack of internet facilities in libraries are reasons why they make use of mobile phones for research. Also, high cost of downloading online resources, incompatibility of software/format of online resources as well as insecurity of sites which causes damages to the phones were identified as constraints students encountered when using mobile phones. The following were recommended in line with the findings of the study: use of anti-virus software, installation of internet facility in libraries, use of compatible phones/ software, saving of downloaded resources as well as use of mobile phones that are user friendly. The bottom-line of the paper is that the use of mobile phones has helped to improve students’ access to current and reliable information resources in tertiary institutions

Family Planning in Nigeria: a Myth or Reality? Implications for Education

This study investigated the extent of family planning, the methods and contraceptive devices in use and the influence of education on family planning among couples in Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprises all the married couples in this area. A sample size of six hundred married people was selected for this study.  Questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument which was validated by three experts in relevant areas has two parts. Part A elicited the respondents’ bio-data while part B consisted of 12 items to elicit information to answer the research questions. The items were structured on a four point scale.  In the selected area, the instrument was administered personally by the researchers to the literate respondents while the illiterates were interviewed using the items in the questionnaire. Percentages were used to answer research questions 2 and 3 while real limit of numbers was used to answer research question 1. The result shows that family planning practice among couples in Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State is high; the contraceptive methods used were mainly traditional.  Educational status has positive influence on family planning in the area. It was recommended that the rural areas should be enlightened on the efficiency of the modern family planning methods. Key words: family planning, traditional methods, modern methods, couples, education

Awareness and Utilization of Social Media by Tertiary Institutions’ Librarians in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria.

Abstract This study investigated awareness and utilization of social media by tertiary institutions’ librarians in Abia and Imo states. The purposes that guided the study are to: establish the extent of awareness of social media for library services by tertiary institutions’ librarians in Abia and Imo states, ascertain the extent to which social media are used by librarians, and factors militating against the utilization of social media for library services. The survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all 149 librarians in 12 government-owned tertiary institutions in Abia and Imo States. The instrument used for data collection was the rating scale. To answer the research questions of the study, tables, mean () and standard deviation were used, while ANOVA statistics was used for testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significane. Findings of the study revealed that; tertiary institutions\u27 librarians in Abia and Imo states are aware of social media to a high extent; social media tools are used to a high extent; unreliable power supply, inadequate internet connectivity are among the factors militating against the use of social media by librarians in the provision of library services. Based on the findings, the following were recommended: awareness of social media should be intensified by librarians of these institutions; librarians and patrons should acquire the necessary technologies that are amenable to social media use and there should be steady and reliable power supply among others